Against All Odds
by Paqu 'n' Badu
Summary: What if John Shepard had a twin sister, who was also on the original Normandy when it exploded? How would she be able to handle his return? Things may be different for the once harmonious pair after the course of two years turns Jane down a more renegade path.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A Prologue **

* * *

_When you're in space, everything seems so distant, calm. Despite the fact that his suit was punctured, hissing in his ear, his breathing becoming more and more difficult, he didn't worry. He knew Jane would be able to handle everything._

_Jane, with her luminous skin and horrible attitude, his twin and best friend, always cracking a joke, punching him in the arm when he didn't laugh. He had pushed her in the pod with his own hands, watched her reach a hand towards him as he was pulled away from her. Her expression had been covered by a helmet._

_Not to worry, though. Drifting further away from the fiery husk of the Normandy, watching the escape pod blast out of the ship._

_His thoughts choked off as his oxygen ran out, his lungs attempting to wheeze in what remaining air floated around him in wisps. Darkness faded over his vision._

* * *

Joker made a slight huffing noise, a whimper of pain as he massaged his arms. Jane, however, was not paying attention to the pilot, but instead quickly removed her helmet, throwing it to the ground to press her nose against the glass window of the escape pod. Her golden eyes fleetingly grazed over the surroundings before landing on the sight of her brother, flailing in open space, his usually imposing form diminished by the sheer bulk of debris that surrounded him. Her treacherous hands attempting to reach towards him, stopped by the infernal glass. Tears spilling over her lashes, she turned away, slapping a hand against the side of the pod and triggering the mechanism that closed the window, sealing her away from the sight. She shot the pilot a glare. One of her hands twisted in her deep red mane, loose around her shoulders.

'It's your fault.'  
'Jane, I-'  
'DON'T BULLSHIT ME, JOKER.' She screamed suddenly, sobbing now, and he jerked backwards.  
'My brother is dead because of you. Because you wouldn't leave a goddamn ship.'  
'I'm sorry.'  
'Sorry doesn't bring him back. Nothing will.'

* * *

**'...that he is waking up. We cannot tell for sure yet, Miranda.'**

His eyes opened slightly, the world shifting around him, focusing in on the angelic face that hovered above him. Despite his multiple attempts at speaking, he could just not conjure any words from his mouth.

'He's up! Hit him with more sedatives.'' The angel's voice shifted suddenly, her hands suddenly resting on his chest, holding him steady in the sea of confusion.

He promptly felt a needle penetrate his skin, and felt himself steady once more, eyes drifting shut despite his leviathan effort to keep them open.

'Heart rate, stable. Brain activity, stable. He's going back under, Miranda.'  
'Thank god. We cannot lose him again.'

And with that, he drifted into the darkness once again.

* * *

The angel was gone, her voice replaced with the steady thrum of an alarm. It drilled into his head, startling his eyes open, and the voice returned.

'John, get to the nearby locker and grab your armor and weapons.'

Confused, he did as he was told, stumbling towards the locker and waiting as the armor attached itself to his frame, covering his sensitive skin. Grabbing a pistol, his motions became automatic, checking the trigger before realising it didn't have ammunition. The voice overhead began commanding him, telling him where to move, what to do, and mindlessly, he followed. When the voice told him to blow through the heads of the mechs, he did just that, quickly demolishing any resistance that stood between him and the voice. He stumbled across another man, this one quickly running through the mechs as well, a gasp escaping his throat as his eyes found John.

'What the hell are you doing, Shepard?'

In response, he shot another bullet through the head of a mech, and the stranger grasped his arm, pulling him down to cover.

'Don't you remember me?'

John stared at him awkwardly, trying to piece together what was going on.

'We'll talk when this is over.'

He came up from cover, shot the last two mechs and crouched back in, reloading his gun.

'Lets go, Shepard.'

John stood persistently in the same spot he had been.

'The station is under attack, we need to go.'  
'Not until I get some answers.'

He sighed, and began his short explanation.

'I'm Jacob Taylor, I'm an assistant for Miranda.'  
'Miranda is the voice over the loudspeaker, isn't it?'  
'Yes. She worked on the Lazarus project, which was basically just rebuilding you, piece by piece after you were spaced in the Normandy explosion.'

Slowly, he began to realize the events of the past years, piecing them together. He had died. Died. The word did not roll easily off his tongue, but he swallowed his thoughts, instead motioning for Jacob to push ahead, to continue the procession through the base. A different voice came over the intercom, the deeper tones of a male filtering into his ears.

'I'm- augh! Hurt. Come get me.'

Jacob screamed out his recognition, starting towards the location from which the message was sent from, opening a door to reveal another victim, on the floor, his leg bleeding.

'Shepard, medi-gel, now!' He motioned to the dispenser on the wall, and John quickly grabbed some and placed it on the man's wound. He hobbled up, limping a little, John quickly realizing he was the doctor who was with Miranda when he woke up the first time.

'You're the doctor who put me under when I first woke up...'  
'Yes I am. I'll explain more later, but we have to get out of here.'

Jacob seemed disturbed by this, his expression shifting from serene to worried instantaneously.

'We're not leaving without Miranda.'  
'Jacob, if shes not dead she's working for the one who sabotaged the station.'  
'We are not leaving without Miranda.'

They started towards the door that led out of the room when Jacob stopped, his expression confused.

'John, I have to tell you something.'  
'Yes?'  
'The Lazarus project, as well as this whole operation, was funded by Cerberus.'  
'Thank you for telling me. It's nice to know I can trust you. We'll discuss this once we're not in danger.'

Eerily calm, they proceeded forward. Mech on mech were sent after them, trying to impede the progress to reaching the voice of the speakers, but they would not be stopped.

After a long battle, they reached a door, John panting and pressing a hand against a wall, unused to physical activity, and trembling slightly as it slid open. The doctor had been discussing the likelihood of Miranda's death, only to be faced with the woman herself, gun in hand.

A gun that was pointed at the doctor.

'I'm not dead just yet, doctor.'

Within the next second, the doctor was dead on the ground, blood seeping from his stomach, dying the floor around him red. Jacob let out a cry.

'MIRANDA! What are you doing!'  
'He was the one who hacked the mechs.'

She nodded at John.

'Shepard. Now, we have to get off this station. Jacob, I'll explain later.'

Jacob nodded, realizing that if she could wait, he could wait.

'Now come, John, there's someone we think you'd like to see.'

A grid of light erupted from the stand as he stepped onto it. In front of him, a holographic image appeared, the Illusive Man with his ever-present cigar appearing before him. He gave him a quick description, which he mostly ignored, answering politely and raising an eyebrow when the mention of the Collectors was brought up. It was something to consider, this species abducting colonies upon colonies of humans, using them as slaves, and he agreed to work with Cerberus. He would do whatever it took to ensure the safe return on the colonies. Nodding his thank you to the Illusive man, he stepped off the platform.

The Illusive Man had given him a mission on a distant planet, pertaining to another one of the colonies. It was rather simple, really. Search for clues and survivors, and then return with the results. He wasn't worried about that. The door behind him opened.

Casually she strolled in, accompanied by my pilot, and a stranger, looking for the entire world as if she had been mauled by hordes of turians. Her once flawless skin was now dominated by masses of angry red scar tissue, her once golden eyes now the color of molten lava. Taken aback, he felt himself step away slightly, uncertain if this strange figure was truly his sister. The features were there, the strong, straight nose, large eyes, and plump, small lips, but this person was leaner, lithe, and graceful even in a standstill.

His hand reached out towards her of its own accord.

'Jane?'  
'John.'

Her hand stretched out in response, her fingertips meeting his, and for the first time since he had woken up, he knew he wasn't sleeping. Stepping forward, he pulled her into a hug, burying his nose into her shoulder. She stood still, silent, waiting out my sudden emotions until he stepped away. He turned to Joker then, holding out a hand as a sign of camaraderie, of forgiveness, of friendship. Joker took it fervently.

The stranger on the other side of Jane, however, was someone he hadn't met before. Feminine, small, her face was hidden by a deep red cowl, the color of blood. Her only visible features, her lips, were tilted up, a deep purple stripe painted down her bottom lip. She bowed slightly, and said nothing, just continued to smile at the open air, as if life in general was pleasing to her.

'How have you been, Jane?'  
'Bluntly put, I've been through hell and back.'  
'I can tell.' He attempted an awkward chuckle.

Her hand raised slightly, grazing the marred flesh, specifically landing on one that had been bestowed on her by a particularly violent krogan. It ran down the length of her face, nipping at the edge of one of her eyebrows. It had taken months to properly heal, and even now the faint glow of the webbing that held her features together shone through in darker light.

Her arms crossed over her chest, and she tilted her lips upwards in a macabre attempt at a smile.

'Welcome back to the land of the living, John. I believe you have a mission to see to.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Freedom's Progress**

* * *

The shuttle was cramped and boring, with no immediate interest from the minds of the crew members inside of it. John, Miranda, and Jacob were all sent to investigate the mysterious abductions. Jane was left on the base, not trusting this mission and Cerberus at all. John wasn't even sure if he trusted Cerberus, but felt the need to find what happened to the colonists. He thought he should do something to repay Cerberus. After all they did rebuild him. John was a magnanimous soldier, definitely not selfish.

'Shepard. What is our main priority? Should we be looking for survivors?'  
'Yes. We need to find if anyone is left. That can give us hints.'

Jacob seemed content with my decision, but Miranda thought... differently.

'Shepard, we need to figure out what happened. There will be no colonists.'  
'Miranda, the most important affair right now is to ensure safety of colonists, even if there is none. We have to look.'

She sighed in defeat.

'Very well, Shepard. You are the commander, after all.'

The shuttle gave a slight nudge as it touched down, indicating we were to exit.

The colony was deserted. Only nothing was wrong... Except the absence of the citizens of Freedom's Progress. Everything was left as it should be. There was no evidence of a struggle.

'This is... weird.' Was the only comment the crew members had.

Although spooked by the eerie atmosphere, they pressed on.

Each house brought almost identical setup, the tables set as if invisible people were ready to eat. They all had roughly the same food, beds, tables... the cabins were almost exactly like each other, give or take a few small things. After about ten minutes of trudging through an abandoned colony, Miranda came to a sudden realization.

'There is a strange absence of mechs also.'  
'The collectors wouldn't take synthetics, would they? I thought they only wanted humans...'  
'I guess we'll find out eventually.' The conversation died.

More walking and observing was all that occurred for the next several minutes, when her statement was soon proven wrong. A handful of mechs filed out of a building, and started to shoot at the team.

'Why are they shooting at us! Aren't mechs supposed to be on our side!'  
'It seems like they were hacked, Jacob. We aren't alone in this colony.'

They finished killing the mechs and proceeded into the next few buildings, only to find a familiar girl in a suit awaiting with a team.

'Shepard?'  
'Tali!'

They embraced for a long time.

'Shepard, I thought you were dead. I missed you so much...'  
'I was. Too long to get into now. I missed you Tali.'  
She giggled softly for a minute until they broke apart. Only he knew he did not have the same feelings for her now that he had before his death.

'What are you doing here,Tali?'  
'A younger quarian, Veetor, was sent here on his pilgrimage a little while back. When we lost contact with the colony we came to investigate. We found it completely abandoned.'

John nodded, understanding their importance here.

'We better get moving, Tali. I'll radio you if we find anything that might be interesting to you.'  
'Thanks, Shepard. We'll take the route into the warehouse, you search around, see what's outside.'

John and his crew continued forward through the door on the other side on the room, while Tali and the other quarians exited through the door on the side.

The outside of the warehouse was generally abandoned, showing no signs of anyone being back here even before the collectors arrived. A few mechs stumbled out of a door on the right, providing almost no challenge for the team. It was quiet, until a lost mech stumbled out on the left.

'I got this one boys.'

She overloaded the mech instantaneously.

'Good thing we have you, Miranda. Never would have survived a single mech.'  
'You're right Shepard. It is a good thing you have me.'

She smirked while saying this, earning a guffaw on John's behalf, Tali scoffing over the radio.

They progressed up the alley, and rounded the corner, detecting movement from the walkway above. The combination of a concussive shot and an overload made the two mechs collapse.

'Uh, Shepard, we have a problem!' Tali's familiar accent rang out over the radio.  
'What's the situation?'  
'The rest of the quarians have gone up ahead! They're getting overwhelmed by a heavy mech! We need help! Please!'  
'I'll be there in a minute, hold on Tali.'  
'Hurry!'

The entrance to the warehouse was closed.

'Jacob, left. Miranda, right. I'll take the center.'

They drew their guns and readied for a fight.

'Do it, Tali.'

The door slid open, and a quarian body flew right past the commanders head.

'Its a YMIR commander!'  
'Thanks Jacob, I definitely don't see a huge metal robot in the middle of the warehouse, and I definitely didn't see a _QUARIAN FLY PAST ME SCREAMING IN PAIN_.'

Jacob felt defeated, and silenced himself.

'Tali! Stay back. We need you alive.'  
'Already on it, Shepard.'  
'Miranda! Overload it as much as possible! Jacob, use your incendiary ammo when the shield are down!'  
Simultaneously, they both said, 'Yes commander!'

Taking down the mech was grueling work. It took a lot of Miranda's biotic power and a lot of ammunition. Eventually, the mech was destroyed and broken apart, making sure nobody could rebuild it. Much of the quarian crew were dead.

'Shepard. Only three quarians including me are left.'  
'Its okay Tali.'

They embraced once again, this time earning a scoff from Miranda.

'Lets go find Veetor.'

Tali, at a loss for words decided nodding was the best thing to do.

The colony was quickly searched for the remaining quarian since nobody wanting another mech problem. He was soon found, along with some valuable information.

'The black beings. The... the collectors were here.'

He showed us a roll of short clips, each showing at least one of the dark, humanoid figures.

'How did you survive, Veetor?' Tali asked.  
'I locked myself... in this room. Watched innocent people get... taken away. It was... horrible.'  
'Come on, Veetor, you're coming back to the fleet.'

Miranda looked extremely annoyed with Tali.

'Listen, quarian. You can't just assume you can have him. We need this information. He is a very valuable asset to this mission.'  
'Miranda, he's been through enough.'  
'We need his infor-'

The commander, fed up with the little cat fight between the two women quickly intervened.

'Tali, you can take Veetor...'

Tali was happier, but Miranda looked angry.

'... In exchange for his data on the collectors.'

This seemed to make both Miranda and Tali content, as there were no further arguments.

John and Tali said their goodbyes and the teams returned to their respective shuttles. John was heading for the Cerberus base once again.

* * *

'Good work on Freedom's Progress, Commander. We're one step closer to stopping the collectors. Right now work on assembling a team. I'll forward you some of the dossiers from my findings. Right now you should find The Archangel, The Scientist, The Convict, The Warlord, and The Mercenary. The Master Thief is already at your disposal. Good luck and keep me posted.'

Shepard turned to leave, but The Illusive Man stopped him.

'One more thing. Go to the cargo bay. We have a little surprise for you.'

And with that, he left for the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: Freedom's Progress**

* * *

In all of its shining glory, they gazed upon the ship Cerberus had gifted us. Joker's nose was pressed against the glass, his breath leaving a misty haze over the pristine surface, and the rest of them nodding and making various sounds of approval. Imprinted on the sides, in clear lettering, the familiar name that they knew and loved.

_Normandy._

Miranda_ suggested_that the two of them attempted to sleep before their upcoming mission, which John agreed with. Despite his best efforts, staying on his feet was becoming a challenge.

They quickly made their way unto the ship, each choosing their individual living quarters. Together in the elevator, John and Jane stood patiently, awaiting to see what Cerberus had done in concerns to their living arrangements. The door opened, and he let out a slight sigh of relief as he realised that despite his affection for his sister, Cerberus had been kind enough to provide separate cabins for them to sleep in.

'Right is mine.' She stated idly, strolling towards it at a leisurely pace, and he watched her walk away.

'Jane?'

She stopped, her shoulders slumping in the slightest bit, and she turned around.

'Why are you so distant?'

She straightened once more, reaching up hand to swipe a stray piece of hair that had fallen on her face. A huff of breath escaped her lips.

'You were dead for two years, John. You have to give me some time.' She turned on her heels, walking into her room, the door behind her closing shut automatically. An eerie silence filled the hall, but nonetheless he understood. She never had been trusting.

Turning and walking into his room, a crash resounded from the other side of the wall, the sound of shattering glass. He strode quickly back into the hall, slightly worried, but the door to her room was locked, the sign red. He knocked anyways, hoping she would answer.

She didn't.

He forced her to answer now, banging at the door, and she still did not reply. Turning his omni-tool on, the orange light flickered slightly as he set to work hacking the doors mechanisms, smiling when it slid open in a matter of seconds.

His face dropped the moment he laid eyes on his sister, however.

She had punched the fish tank that adorned the side of her wall with a bit too much force, water and fish flopping about her as she clutched her bleeding hand, kneeling on the floor in a puddle of water. A growl ripped from her throat.

'Get out.'  
'Jane, I-'  
'Get out, please.' Her voice was too calm.

Biotics flared around her hands, the glass around her beginning to shiver agitatedly, and he turned quickly, the door behind him closing shut as a sob escaped her lips desperately. The sound shut off the moment the door closed.

He called the elevator then, leaning against a wall and massaging his temples. The doors slid open, but they were not empty. Stepping out of them was the stranger once more, but this time, her lips were turned down.

'Hello, Shepard. My name is Kasumi. I don't believe we've gotten a chance to talk.' She held out a hand, gripping his hand firmly and releasing him. Her lips tilted upwards, and she walked to the door, knocking twice quietly. She turned on her intercom, likely connecting with Jane, and mumbled something into it. The door slid open, and his mouth gaped. Her face turned towards me, the smile morphing into a smirk, and the door slid shut behind her as she stepped into the quiet space.

* * *

The door slid open, and Kasumi slid in quietly, the smirk decorating her lips quickly dropping as she saw Jane's state. Walking quickly towards her and dropping to her knees in the puddle of water, her hand rested on the small of her quivering back.

'2 years.' The words ripped from Jane's shuddering form, her fists tightly gripped into white misshapen spheres, pressing against the floor. 'For two years, he was dead, Kasumi. I buried my feelings and set them aside, but seeing him now just brings them right back to the surface.'  
'I understand, Jane.'  
'I don't know what to say to him any more. I don't even know if he remembers how we were.'

Her fingers splayed out, gripping the carpet underneath them to stop the shaking, trying desperately to calm her breathing. Wide, dry eyes looked up from the fiery curtain of hair, meeting Kasumi's, the rings underneath them a deep purple.

'Jane, you need to sleep.'

She stumbled upwards, her knees soaked from kneeling on the ground, and fell directly onto her bed in one quick motion, not even bothering to properly remove her armor, instead choosing to rip it off violently, ending up in a thin pair of leggings and an older shirt. Kasumi leaned against a wall, before nodding towards Shepard and turning to exit.

'Sweet dreams, J.'  
'Thanks, Kat. You too.'

* * *

_There hadn't been a body to bury. The air around her hung heavy, her knees curled up into her chest as the room slowly filled, the solemn chatter filling up the previously quiet room. She was in the back row, the rows of high-backed benches each lined with a plush black velvet, but she didn't notice. It had taken 2 days for the funeral to be planned, transportation arranged for all who could not arrive here on their own. _

_She took no notice of the warm being that slid into the seat beside her._

_'Shepard.'_

_Her hands gripped her knees closer to her chest, and a large, 3 fingered hand gently released her hold on herself._

_'Hi, Garrus.'_

_Her voice cracked, and he opened his arms for a hug, a rare gesture for the usually reserved turian. She gladly accepted the offer, diving into him and burying her face into his arms, shaking as he gently stroked her hair._

_'It's okay, Jane. He's in a better place. He's probably up there now, putting in a good word for us.'_

_She disentangled herself from the hug and chose instead to lean against him as they were joined by others. Liara slid in beside her, followed closely by Tali._

_'How are you holding up, Shepard?'_

_She opened her mouth to reply when music began to play from the speakers embedded in the wall, signaling the start of the ceremony. She stared off into the distance for the duration, her eyes lifted towards the ceiling to dispel any gathering tears, only to be jolted from her state by a sharp elbow in the side from Liara._

_'Go up, Shepard. It's time for you to give the eulogy.'_

_Taking a deep breath of air, she rose as gracefully as she could, walking towards the single, unadorned stand at the front of the room, and trying not to trip. Once she had safely arrived, she raised her eyes from the floor, looking over the crowd. Her mouth stumbled over words._

_'I was never a perfect sister, yet I was blessed with a perfect brother.'_

_Already, pinpricks of anxiety overtook her stomach, battling with the waves of emotion that crashed over her. Her throat closed, and she managed to croak out the odd syllable before tears began to cloud over her vision._

_'The galaxy itself weeps at the loss of his life. Without him, she is dark, just as many of our hearts tonight.' Her voice cracked often, but she took no heed now, words stumbling out of her mouth._

_'I will never forget the light my brother brought into my life.'_

_With those words, the ever-composed Jane Shepard broke into tears, mumbling a vague apology before fleeing the scene, stumbling into the nearest empty room. She was broken now, a trinket with a missing part. Wave after wave of tears continually wracked against her pale form, pent-up from years of containing her emotions. The door creaked open._

_'Jane.' _

_She didn't honor him with a reply, instead quickly wiping the back of her hand across her eyes._

_'Jane, it's okay.' _  
_'Is it, Garrus?' She mumbled out._

_She knew it wasn't okay. Truthfully, she thought it would never be okay, ever. There would always be a John-shaped hole in her heart, even if she tried to put the past behind her. The turian sidled up beside her, her hip bumping against her leg, and he shot her a weak grin. _

_'Well, probably not. But, it will be.'_

_She sighed then, lacing her fingers together and cracking them with a sickening sound, making him shudder internally. _

_'What are you going to do, Garrus?'_  
_'Me? I'll probably head off to Omega, see if I can help out with anything.' He stated idly._  
_'What are you really planning to do?'_  
_'I don't know yet, Jane. We'll see, won't we?'_

_She nodded then, and started towards the door, waiting patiently for him as they walked back to the funeral together. It was going to be a long day._

* * *

**AN/ This chapter was written by Badu, hence the focus on feelings and not fighting. Review please?(:**


End file.
